Tide turning in tech training?

Now comes news from Massachusetts that some people appear to be paying closer attention to that message. At a time when some vocational-technical programs are closing due to lack of interest, the Boston Globe reports that thousands are seeking vo-tech classes in the state’s high schools—and being turned away.

The Sept. 15 report by Jonathan Wiggs of the Globe stated that many vo-tech programs across the state have long admission waiting lists, according to a survey by the Northeastern University School of Law. The survey found that at least 3,500 students were unable to get into public vocational schools in the past 2 years. “The [vocational education] system is not valued as much as it should be,” said Don Walsh, of Massachusetts Communities Action Network, in the report. MCAN is a nonprofit advocacy group and requested the Northeastern survey. “The biggest problem manufacturers have is running out of workers.”

Not all reported waiting lists, but 21 of the 31 schools that responded to the survey had one, according to the report. The 35 other vocational and technical schools in Massachusetts did not respond to the survey.

While it would be better to accept all the students who wanted training, the shortage is a hopeful sign that more people are exploring opportunities for employment in manufacturing. With waiting lists like these, perhaps more attention will be paid to the vo-tech training systems in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Another hopeful sign is that manufacturers are supporting training programs, making them more attractive to potential students. For example, Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Cos., Plymouth, Ind., donated a Zeiss DuraMax coordinate measuring machine to the Precision Tool Manufacturing Training Program, open to students attending Plymouth High School. Zeiss discounted the machine, donated 12 educational licenses for its Calypso software and trained the program’s instructor.